The China Cardiovascular Health and Disease Report released by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases not long ago shows that the prevalence and mortality of cardiovascular diseases in China are on the rise. At present, cardiovascular disease deaths account for the first cause of death among urban and rural residents, and cardiovascular disease has become a major public health problem. According to data, there are 330 million people suffering from cardiovascular disease in China, and 2 out of every 5 deaths are due to cardiovascular disease.

How nitrates can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

How to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) strategies is the focus of global research. The 1998 Nobel Prize winner Louis J. Ignarro's research showed that nitric oxide (NO) is a signal molecule produced by the body. It can relax blood vessels and thus facilitate the circulation of blood. By dilating blood vessels, nitric oxide can adjust blood pressure. , Prevent the formation of blood clots that induce stroke and heart disease, and prevent the formation of plaque in blood vessels. Nitric oxide plays a key role in cardiovascular health. Inorganic nitrate in the diet, which is an exogenous source of nitric oxide (NO). Studies have found that the final products of nitric oxide metabolism are nitrate and nitrite, and nitrate and nitrite can be recovered as NO through the enteric nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. Increasing your dietary intake of nitrate can increase the source of nitric oxide.

The effect of dietary nitrate in vegetables on human body

Recently, an article in the "European Journal of Epidemiology" showed that: Researchers found that compared with participants with the lowest intake of vegetable nitrates (average 23 mg/day), the moderate to highest intake (average) 59-141 mg/day) participants have a 12% to 26% reduction in the risk of heart disease. They also found that the dose-response curves of vegetable nitrate intake and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were inversely proportional to individuals who took and did not take antihypertensive drugs at baseline. The participants with the highest intake decreased their baseline systolic blood pressure by 2.5 mmHg and their diastolic blood pressure by 1.38 mmHg.

How to scientifically take in vegetable nitrate

People only need to eat one portion (about 230 grams) of raw (or half-cooked) nitrate-rich vegetables every day, which can greatly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. But you cannot squeeze vegetables into juice, because the juiced vegetables will lose their pulp and fiber.

References: Catherine P. Bondonno, Frederik Dalgaard, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, etal, Vegetable nitrate intake, blood pressure and incident cardiovascular disease: Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study, European Journal of Epidemiology, 21 April 2021